Building a Strong Employer Brand for Retention

Nothing spells disaster faster than a bait-and-switch job offer. You need to ensure your employer branding is unapologetically honest. Why? 1. Candidates aren't stupid. They can smell corporate BS a mile away. When you're upfront about your culture, you attract people who actually fit—and repel those who don’t. 2. Honesty fosters trust. When potential hires see you're transparent about the daily grind, the challenges and the victories, they're more likely to believe in your mission. 3. No one wants to feel like they've been sold a lemon. By giving candidates the real deal upfront, you avoid the revolving door of disillusioned new hires. People know what they're getting into and are ready to commit. So, how do you GET REAL about what working at your company is like? 1. Conduct anonymous surveys, focus groups and one-on-one interviews. Get the dirt straight from the trenches. Ask your employees what’s working, what’s not and what’s just plain ugly. 2. Share the results with your team. All of it. The good, the bad and the brutally honest. Demonstrate that you’re listening and ready to act. 3. Write job descriptions that reflect the real day-to-day. Highlight the challenges as much as the perks. If the job involves late nights or tough deadlines, say it. You now have all the materials needed to create an employee culture playbook. Notice that I DIDN'T say an employee handbook. Your playbook needs: 1. Real stories from real employees. Capture their experiences, their challenges and their triumphs. Make it personal and relatable. 2. Show how your core values play out in everyday situations. Use examples and anecdotes. 3. Be upfront about the demands and expectations. Let potential hires know what they’re signing up for. Honesty here saves time and heartache down the road. Your employer branding requires: 1. Behind-the-scenes videos, day-in-the-life blogs, candid photos—give outsiders a genuine glimpse into your world. 2. Employee ambassadorship. Encourage them to share their stories on social media and at industry events. Authentic voices from within carry more weight than polished corporate messages. 3. Consistency. All of your employer branding materials—website, social media, ads—should reflect the same honest, transparent approach. Remember... 1. This isn't a one-and-done process. Keep the lines of communication open. Regularly check in with employees to get their feedback and gauge their sentiment. Make adjustments as needed. 2. Your company culture isn’t static. As you grow and change, so should your approach to employee experience and branding. Stay agile and responsive to your team’s needs and feedback. 3. Leadership needs to model the behavior. Be transparent about company decisions, challenges and successes. 4. Your actions must align with your words. If you promote a culture of feedback and improvement, demonstrate it through your policies and practices. #employeeexperience #employerbrand #ThatAshleyAmber

🔥 A bigger paycheck won't fix a toxic workplace. You don’t retain great talent with money. You do it with meaning. ✅ Here’s how to build a culture that people actually want to stay in: → Trust your team to do what you hired them for. ↳ Micromanagement kills confidence. Let them lead. → Measure outcomes, not activity. ↳ Empower people to solve problems their own way. → Give feedback that fuels, not controls. ↳ Make it constructive, consistent, and respectful. → Let decisions happen at every level. ↳ Autonomy drives ownership and innovation. → Celebrate wins like they matter. ↳ Recognition isn't a perk. It's a performance driver. → Invest in your people’s growth. ↳ Development is the new retention strategy. → Invite new ideas, even if they challenge you. ↳ Creativity thrives where safety exists. → Respect their time like it's your own. ↳ Fewer meetings = more trust + less burnout. → Protect work-life balance at all costs. ↳ Happy humans are productive humans. → Lead with trust. Always. ↳ Your culture is built in the quiet moments of empathy. 💬 What’s one small cultural shift that made a big impact on your team? 🔁 Know someone trying to build a better workplace? Send this their way. #LeadershipDevelopment #EmployeeExperience #CultureMatters #RetentionStrategies #PeopleFirst

I don't know who needs to hear this but the best thing you can do for your employer brand is: - pay really well and give people regular increases - give your employees remote or flexible hybrid work - offer great PTO - foster a culture where people are treated like actual humans at work - create pathways for growth and internal mobility Believe me, if you're doing this then your employees will naturally tell their friends and talk about it online and leave you great reviews, and people will want to work for your company. So many companies will build teams for employer branding and spend hours crafting the exact posts about how "authentic" their culture is that employees all need to post at the same time, or paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to get ranked on a pay-to-play list, or posting pictures of foosball tables and fancy happy hours. But I promise you, what top talent wants is money, flexibility, respect, recognition, and growth. Give them that, and they will brand your company as the best place to work without you needing to spend a dime or lift a finger.